The Great Hunt by Wendy Higgins

The Great Hunt (Eurona Duology, #1)

by Wendy Higgins

Wendy Higgins, the author of the New York Times bestselling Sweet Evil series, reimagines a classic Brothers Grimm fairy tale with The Great Hunt, a dramatic, romance-filled fantasy with rugged hunters, romantic tension, and a princess willing to risk all to save her kingdom. When a monstrous beast attacks in Eurona, desperate measures must be taken. The king sends a proclamation to the best and bravest hunters: whoever kills the creature will win the hand of his daughter Princess Aerity as a reward. The princess recognizes her duty but cannot bear the idea of marrying a stranger-she was meant to marry for love-until a brooding local hunter, Paxton Seabolt, catches her attention. And while there's no denying the fiery chemistry between them, Princess Aerity feels that Paxton's mysteriousness is foreboding, maybe even dangerous. Paxton is not the marrying type. Nor does he care much for spoiled royals and their arcane laws. He is determined to keep his focus on the task at hand-ridding the kingdom of the beast-but the princess continues to surprise him, and the secrets he's buried begin to surface against his wishes.

Reviewed by shannonmiz on

4 of 5 stars

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You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
really enjoyed this one!It started off a bit iffy for me, for two reasons: One, the idea of the "big scary monster" was kind of strange for me, and two, I felt like all the women were giving off a "damsel in distress" vibe. 

But as the book got going, I realized that I was curious about the monster, and while society may have seen the female characters as weak, and they did have to keep appearances, in no way were these women anything but strong. When the hunt first starts, there are no women involved. And it was making me mad. But then women showed up and they were the actual best. So like, in your face, all of the rest of society!

There's romantic drama involved, which I feel like you'll either love or hate, depending on how you feel about romance, and that hopeless, desperate sort of thing. I love it, so it worked for me. This quote kind of sums it up:

"All around her were the constant reminders of what each of them could not have."

The hunt was intense, and grueling. Aerity was brave and selfless as the main character. In fact, all the women in her family were completely amazing. Speaking of, the family element was huge during this one too, so there's another win. All the characters went through a lot of development too, as they had to deal with the external and internal beasts.

Bottom Line: Once I got into it, I got really into it. I absolutely cannot wait for the sequel!

*Copy provided by publisher for review
**Quotes taken from uncorrected proof, subject to change.

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  • Started reading
  • 22 February, 2016: Finished reading
  • 22 February, 2016: Reviewed